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After staging a politicised resignation drama, the Congress high command on Saturday recalled Jammu and Kashmir Education Minister Peerzada Mohd Sayeed to stay put in the Council of Ministers of Omar Abdullah as Congress nominee.
Peerzada, who was divested of his portfolio by the CM late on Friday night, would continue to hold the charge of Public Enterprises department. Apparently, the compulsions of coalition politics have saved the day for the Congress Minister while Omar got snubbed for the first time by the Congress high command.
By posting crisp comments on the micro blogging social networking site, Omar had clearly indicted his Cabinet colleague and was keen to see his back. “Peerzada Sayeed heads the department (Education) about which allegations have been levelled and that the fact is inescapable”, Omar had tweeted while setting the time line for his colleague’s ouster.
The crime branch had reportedly concluded in its report that the foster son of the Education Minister, Imam Sauban, passed his class X exam using unfair means with the help of top brass of the J&K board of school education.
Meanwhile, in a sudden turn of events Peerzada told reporters assembled outside his official residence, “I have come to know party president Sonia Gandhi has refused to accept my resignation”.
He said, “as a nominee of the Congress party I had forwarded my resignation to Sonia Gandhi. But I have come to know that she has directed me to continue to work in the Council of Ministers of Omar Abdullah and strengthen the bond between the alliance
partners. I would be working as a true soldier of the Congress party”.
Earlier on Friday, the party high command had mounted pressure on the Congress Minister to put in his papers. AICC in-charge of the State party unit Mohan Prakash and PCC chief Saif-ud-Din Soz had separately conveyed the decision of the party high command to Peerzada to resign.
Interestingly, the former Education Minister had undermined the authority of the CM by refusing to send his resignation to him.
Even in his resignation letter to Sonia Gandhi, Peerzada had reportedly made a mention of the alleged custodial death of NC worker Mohd Yousaf Bhat and the action following thereafter.
Political observers in Jammu say “by deciding to support Peerzada Mohd Sayeed, facing serious charges of of nepotism, the Congress high command has tried to broker a peace deal with the annoyed Chief Minister.
Addressing mediapersons on Saturday, Peerzada, however, denied reports of levelling charges against the Chief Minister. “He is my respected leader. How can I indulge in such acts and earn bad name for my party”.
He clarified that a false impression has been created that I have been indicted by the Crime branch report. “Nowhere have they mentioned my name that I was directly involved in the cheating case”, he said defending himself.
Referring to his son, Peerzada said, “He is my foster son, he is not my real son. Ironically, he has already disowned me. What wrong have I committed if after the death of my first wife in a militancy related incident I tried to rehabilitate one family, Peerzada said. It was a conspiracy against me and I am trying my best to identify people who were behind it.”
Without naming anyone, Peerzada said, “I am paying a heavy price for being able to start schools during last year’s unrest in the Kashmir Valley. People targeted me and even came to ransack my house but I went ahead and failed
the strike call in the Valley and helped the State Government restore normalcy”.
Peerzada, who was divested of his portfolio by the CM late on Friday night, would continue to hold the charge of Public Enterprises department. Apparently, the compulsions of coalition politics have saved the day for the Congress Minister while Omar got snubbed for the first time by the Congress high command.
By posting crisp comments on the micro blogging social networking site, Omar had clearly indicted his Cabinet colleague and was keen to see his back. “Peerzada Sayeed heads the department (Education) about which allegations have been levelled and that the fact is inescapable”, Omar had tweeted while setting the time line for his colleague’s ouster.
The crime branch had reportedly concluded in its report that the foster son of the Education Minister, Imam Sauban, passed his class X exam using unfair means with the help of top brass of the J&K board of school education.
Meanwhile, in a sudden turn of events Peerzada told reporters assembled outside his official residence, “I have come to know party president Sonia Gandhi has refused to accept my resignation”.
He said, “as a nominee of the Congress party I had forwarded my resignation to Sonia Gandhi. But I have come to know that she has directed me to continue to work in the Council of Ministers of Omar Abdullah and strengthen the bond between the alliance
partners. I would be working as a true soldier of the Congress party”.
Earlier on Friday, the party high command had mounted pressure on the Congress Minister to put in his papers. AICC in-charge of the State party unit Mohan Prakash and PCC chief Saif-ud-Din Soz had separately conveyed the decision of the party high command to Peerzada to resign.
Interestingly, the former Education Minister had undermined the authority of the CM by refusing to send his resignation to him.
Even in his resignation letter to Sonia Gandhi, Peerzada had reportedly made a mention of the alleged custodial death of NC worker Mohd Yousaf Bhat and the action following thereafter.
Political observers in Jammu say “by deciding to support Peerzada Mohd Sayeed, facing serious charges of of nepotism, the Congress high command has tried to broker a peace deal with the annoyed Chief Minister.
Addressing mediapersons on Saturday, Peerzada, however, denied reports of levelling charges against the Chief Minister. “He is my respected leader. How can I indulge in such acts and earn bad name for my party”.
He clarified that a false impression has been created that I have been indicted by the Crime branch report. “Nowhere have they mentioned my name that I was directly involved in the cheating case”, he said defending himself.
Referring to his son, Peerzada said, “He is my foster son, he is not my real son. Ironically, he has already disowned me. What wrong have I committed if after the death of my first wife in a militancy related incident I tried to rehabilitate one family, Peerzada said. It was a conspiracy against me and I am trying my best to identify people who were behind it.”
Without naming anyone, Peerzada said, “I am paying a heavy price for being able to start schools during last year’s unrest in the Kashmir Valley. People targeted me and even came to ransack my house but I went ahead and failed
the strike call in the Valley and helped the State Government restore normalcy”.
